If you are a non-STEM, non-doctoral student, your initial reaction to learning about Data Services at USC University Libraries might be along the lines of “Cool! I don’t know how this is relevant to my studies or chosen career!”

You are not alone in feeling this way. Data science, artificial intelligence, and other elements of digital scholarship can seem very abstract and intimidating to people who do not have a background focused directly on those things. However, digital tools are becoming increasingly present in all disciplines, so it is crucial to be aware of their supplementary potential for essential functions of whichever jobs you may pursue.

Below are some scenarios detailing how digital tools can be utilized in various career fields, based on the most popular majors at USC (as of 2023).

Business, Marketing, and Management

Marketing

Anyone working in advertising, promotion, and public relations is expected to stay on top (or, even ahead) of the latest trends and consumer behaviors in order to lead successful campaigns. Here are some examples of how learning to use digital tools could help you prepare for this work at the professional level:

• Machine learning (ML) for forecasting consumer spending.
• Content mining to identify trends and potential markets in promotional campaigns.
• Visualizing and presenting analytics to stakeholders.

Business Leadership and Administration

As an executive, you will be expected to make informed decisions regarding your organization’s next steps. While many businesses may outsource consultants to manage this process, you could boost your future leadership skills by learning about the following:

• Large language models (LLMs) for generating innovative business models and strategies.
• Expert systems or cognitive computing to map out strategic decisions.
• ML for budget planning and forecasting external changes/trends.
• Managing research data ethically and efficiently when conducting surveys, market research, and performance reviews.

 

Healthcare

Digital tools in healthcare have a much wider range of uses than a single article section can cover, but suffice it to say that they could enhance both the experience of patients and the work of medical practitioners. Here are just a few examples of how AI has been found to potentially improve the healthcare field for all involved:

• Chatbots / LLMs for supporting patients emotionally, promoting health literacy, and helping to interpret lab results and diagnoses.
• Deep learning (DL) and internet of things (IoT) for diagnostic screening, triage, telemedicine and creating unique treatment plans.
• Natural language processing (NLP) for streamlining documentation and administrative tasks.

Education

Developing and measuring the success of curricula is a huge part of working in any education role. It is the responsibility of educators to stay informed on emerging technology and tools as they relate to learning. Here are some digital research topics that present and future teachers would greatly benefit from exploring:

• General AI concepts for teaching digital citizenship and ethical AI use in academic environments.
• Data visualization in instruction to meet different learning needs.
• AI ethical discourse for creating and enforcing academic integrity policies.
• LLMs for supporting ESL (English as a second language) students.
• Machine learning to assist in grading assessments.

Engineering

Electrical Engineering, Aerospace, and Green Energy

Electrical engineering is the fastest growing engineering field (according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics), and for good reason. Though it encompasses various specializations, it is associated most with power generation and distribution as well as the design of aircraft and automobiles. The following are examples of how artificial intelligence and smart technology can be used to innovate in this category:

• Machine learning to optimize resource management, fault detection and maintenance prediction.
• Internet of Things (IoT), deep learning and GIS for monitoring, analyzing and visualizing energy consumption.

Civil Engineering, Architecture, and Urban Planning

Civil engineers, architects and urban planners all have the primary focus of designing and planning the construction of buildings and infrastructure. Here are some ways in which digital tools can support the planning and execution of building projects:

• DL for advancing construction robotics and measuring infrastructure quality.
• Generative AI to boost efficiency in architectural design and planning.
• Geospatial information systems (GIS) for modeling construction plans and visualizing building concepts.
• Deep learning/artificial neural networks to measure and predict land use changes.

Industrial Engineering and Manufacturing

Professionals in this sector focus on optimizing manufacturing processes, often for the production of transportation equipment and electronics. Here’s how emerging technologies can further support their human counterparts:

• Deep learning for predicting equipment strength, capacity and damage patterns.
• Computer vision, machine learning and data analysis to conduct risk assessments for manufacturing processes.
• Machine learning and data visualization for mapping supply chains.

Social Sciences

Psychology

When conducting studies or surveys, many components of digital research, technology and ethics come into play. See the following examples of those components in action:

• Ethical data management and publication of research during and after studies.
• Deep learning/neural networks for identifying potentially undiagnosed mental illness and predicting responses to treatment.
• NLP for analyzing session data/transcripts to improve treatment.

History, Anthropology and Sociology

Utilizing digital tools in historical research could potentially lead to major breakthroughs in the field by analyzing primary sources and uncovering hidden patterns. Here are a few ways that scholars are already integrating data science and artificial intelligence into their studies:

• GIS to create models of geographic areas and visualize changes over time.
• NLP for documenting and interpreting oral histories/ethnographic data.
• Expanding access to research, documents and artifacts through digital publishing and web archives.

 

Whatever specific digital research tools can enhance your academic journey, and whatever your existing level of familiarity and expertise with those tools may be, Data Services is here to support you.